Mullaperiyar car park issue: Green Tribunal names panel

Chennai: The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal here ordered the setting up of a two-member committee to file a report on the factual position with regard to a site that is claimed as Mullaiperiyar water spread area by Tamil Nadu and denied by Kerala.

A bench, comprising judicial member M Chockalingam and expert member R Nagendran, gave the directive when the matter came up before it.

On September 5 this year, the NGT Bench had directed Kerala to halt the proposed construction of a mega car park in the area while ordering status quo in favour of Tamil Nadu.

During the hearing, Kerala government and the Periyar Tiger Conservancy Foundation sought vacation of the status quo to enable them to go ahead with the construction of a car park. It contended that the area fell within Kumuly town's periphery.

After hearing both sides, the NGT Bench directed setting up of the two-member panel to look into the factual position vis-a-vis the claims and counter claims regarding the location of the proposed site of construction.

One member will have to be nominated by the Surveyor General of India. The other has to be appointed by the Director General of Forest, government of India.

The team, after spot inspection, should file a report within six weeks, the Tribunal said. The plea to vacate the status quo order was not allowed. The matter was posted to January 22 next.